This document discusses verbals, which are verb forms used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs rather than as verbs. There are three types of verbals: infinitives, which use "to" and can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs; participles, which end in "-ing" or "-ed" and are used as adjectives; and gerunds, which end in "-ing" and function as nouns. The document provides examples and exercises to help distinguish between verbs and verbals based on how they are used in sentences. It emphasizes that identifying verbals is important for understanding sentence structure.

1. Verbals
Grammar Lesson 10
English 10

2. Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Telling the difference between
a verb and a verbal is not
done by looking only at the
word itself.
• You have to see how the word
is being used.
• In both cases, the word looks
like a verb, but if it’s used as
something other than a verb…
it’s a VERBAL

3. Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
o Waxed
o Flowing
o Playing
o Sleeping
• These can be verbs or verbals
depending upon how they are
used in the sentence.

4. Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
o Our butler waxed the floors.
o The waxed floors were slippery
and dangerous.
• In the first sentence, the word
is being used as a verb to tell
what action is being done.
• In the other one, the word still
looks like a verb, but it is
being used as an adjective

5. Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
o Water was flowing over the
rocks in the stream.
o Flowing water carries a great
deal of potential energy.
• The same thing is true here
as in the other example.
• The second sentences shows
the verb working as an
adjective instead of a verb.

6. Basic Information on Verbals
• Verbals are verb forms (words
that look like verbs or could
be verbs in other sentences)
that are used as one of the
following:
o Noun
o Adjective
o Adverb
• A verbal can never be the
verb of the sentence.

7. Basic Information on Verbals
• There are three different kinds
of verbals:
o Infinitive
o Participle
o Gerund
• Each verbal has a specific
purpose and use in a
sentence.

8. Infinitives
• An infinitive is a verb form that
is proceeded by the word “to.”
o To play
o To sleep
o To be seen
o To steal
o To have been stolen
o To speak

9. Infinitives
• In some sentences (following
certain verbs), the “sign of the
infinitive” (the word “to) is
omitted.
• This is done for clarity.
o Help him (to) move the sofa.
o Watch the fish (to) snap at the
hook.
o Can you feel the floor (to)
move?

10. Infinitives
• The verbs which call for an
omitted “to” are:
o See
o Hear
o Feel
o Help
o Let
o Make
o Watch

11. Infinitives
• An infinitive has three
possible functions:
o As a noun
o As an adjective
o As an adverb
• Knowing where an infinitive
should go helps make the
structure of the sentence
more clear.

12. Infinitives
• As a noun:
o I hate to go. (direct object)
o To steal is a crime. (subject)
• As an adjective:
o It’s time to go. (modify time)
o There are jobs to be done
(modify jobs)
• As an adverb:
o He always plays to win. (modify
plays)

13. Infinitives
• Infinitives can also have
modifiers or complements.
• This can be done because
there is a verb form in the
infinitive that (if being used as
a verb in another sentence)
could take a complement
such as an indirect or direct
object or a predicate
complement.

14. Infinitives
• Be careful not to create “split”
infinitives.
• This is done when an adverb
is placed between the “to” and
the verb form.
o To boldly go….
o To strenuously object…
o To always comply…
• It is bad structure for this to be
formed.

15. Participles
• Verb forms that are used as
adjectives are called
participles.
• They will have two forms:
o Present (ending in “-ing”)
o Past (ending in “-ed” or “-en”)
• These contain action, but they
are not used as verbs in the
sentence.

16. Participles
• Examples:
o Smoking gun
o Snoring spouse
o Broken window
o Elected official
o Streaming video
o Buzzing noise
o Winning touchdown
o Walking track

17. Participles
• Participles can appear in
several places in the
sentence, but they are most
commonly found describing /
modifying the subject.
• Participle phrases can also be
made from single participles
o Running along the path

18. Participles
• Most participle phrases will
have commas setting them
off. This is especially true
when they open a sentence
and modify the subject.
o Running at full speed, the
back raced twenty yards for a
score.
o Crying loudly, the baby
wanted some attention.

19. Gerunds
• A gerund looks a lot like a
participle because it ends in “-
ing.”
• However, the gerund is going
to be used as a noun.
• Gerunds will show up as
subjects, direct or indirect
objects or objects of
prepositions.

20. Gerunds
• Examples:
o Chewing gum in class is not
allowed. (subject)
o I liked eating at the new
restaurant. (direct object)
o Without running very hard I
won the race.
o Abusing the warm fuzzy
kitten is not allowed in this
class. (subject)

21. Practice:
• You will be shown ten
sentences with a word or
phrase underlined.
• Identify the word or phrases
as:
o Infinitive
o Participle
o Gerund

22. Practice:
– Sleeping soundly in his
bed, Ron was not going to be
disturbed by anyone in his
house.
– I wanted to try out for the
lacrosse team this spring.
– The rushing waters of the
Colorado River were great for
rafting.

23. Practice:
4. The warm fuzzy kitten,
meowing loudly in the
hallway, was a nuisance.
5. We tried shooting with the
NBA’s new basketball and
found it to be challenging.
6. To run a mile in less than
four minutes is nearly
impossible.

24. Practice:
7. Charging wildly down the
street, the bulls tried to crush
the citizens of Pamplona.
8. Cheating on a final exam in
English is not an advisable
solution to not studying.
9. To sleep, perchance to
dream.

25. Practice:
10. On the sixth day of Xmas,
my true love gave to me six
geese a-laying, five gold rings,
four calling birds, three French
hens, two turtle doves and a
partridge in a pear tree.

26. SURPRISE, SURPRISE,
SURPRISE!!
• Now that you can identify
these verbals, you have the
great privilege of going on to
the next great step in
verbals……..

27. DIAGRAMMING!!